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We are developing an Windows application that will need to talk to a remote battery-powered device. The app is being developed using C#/.NET for Windows 7 machines. WiFi is an option on the remote device but Bluetooth would be better for power conservation. The connection would be used for transfer of generic serial data as well as audio.

Reviewing previous questions, I see here, for example, that 32feet and WCL appear to be popular libraries to use with .NET. However, 32feet seems to be no longer under development. WCL seems to have stopped Bluetooth development at .NET 4.6. Perhaps not a concern if 4.6.1 and 4.6.2 not require Blueooth updates?

Interested in getting some answers on the following:

1) Why do these libraries exist? Why is there not native support for Bluetooth in .NET?

2) Why are the options so limited? Why is there no more development interest in 32feet? Is there a reluctance Bluetooth in .NET for some reason? Has some other path opened up?

3) What are the concerns we might run into in implementing an app that would Bluetooth for generic data transfer as it relates to the various radios and stacks that are available?

In general, I am getting the impression that the approach is not taken much and I'm wondering why that is, if that is indeed the case, or I am wrong. What approach would you take?

Community
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sje
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1 Answers1

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I have the same questions and the same impression.

I think that the reply for the first question is in the Supported Hardware and Software wiki of 32feet:

The library is supported both in a version for desktop Windows, and a version for NETCF v2.0. On both platforms various companies have provided software protocol stack software to use Bluetooth hardware. For instance, on desktop Windows there are well known stacks from Microsoft, Widcomm (now Broadcom(Broadcom)), BlueSoleil and Toshiba. On CE platforms there are also stacks from Microsoft and Broadcom(Broadcom)/Widcomm.

and

Note that most Bluetooth dongles use a standard connection protocol and thus they appear very similar. This means that most Bluetooth software stacks (Microsoft, Broadcom/Widcomm, BlueZ, Bluetopia etc) can use any dongle. It it not the case for instance that Broadcom dongles can only be used by the Broadcom/Widcomm stack. There are some dongles that are non-standard however; I have one from Trust like that and it can thus only be used with the stack supplied with it.

I hope that the no-interest to development of 32feet is because microsoft is developping a native support.

LucaG
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